in the year 492. All which was confirm'd by the sixth General Council in the year 680. And in the Council of Florence held in the year 1438. the same Canon was again confirm'd the Greeks Armenians and Jacobites subscribing thereto So that when Protestancy began there were no Christians in the World who believ'd those Books precisely to be Holy Scripture which the Church of England allows of and consequently they have the Testimony of the Vniversal Church and every Member thereof against them wanting ten parts of that Rule which they believe the only essential one to Salvation Now as for the Text their own private Spirit is the sole Oracle it dropt from As for what relates to the Sense and Meaning of Holy Scripture the Dr. with all the Eyes of the quick-sighted Ministry shall never discover that Body of Christians who ever profess'd those Articles of Faith both Positive and Negative the present Church of England proposes for her Credenda Hence it is evident they have been their own Choosers of Books Texts and Sense and from first to last have no Authority either for one or other Mark here how the Dr. calls the Canon subscrib'd by St. Augustine and constantly allow'd by all the Universal Church for eleven hundred years Apocryphal Books of the later Time As also that his saying He is as sure of this Books being the Bible as of Cicero 's Offices being his Book is with submission to his Doctorship a mistake Nor can he be said to believe a thing on anothers word who neither believes him in his whole story nor in his manner of relating it nor in the meaning of the Words he uses to explicate himself but such an one must be said to believe what himself pleases and not what the other relates Which is the proper Notion of an Heretick deriv'd from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to choose He proceeds to illustrate what he slightly touch'd Confer p. 10. in the Conference proving the Bible from Mens considering the Prophesies and their Events the Characters of CHRIST the History of CHRIST c. Now this proves nothing there being no other Testimony either for the Prophesies or Events than the Church of Englands private Judgement she not having taken them on the Testimony of any Christians in the World. But granting the Historical Part of Holy Writ to be clear'd by these Comparisons yet the Doctrinal part on which the main hinge of Controversy turns can never be that way made out Which being soreseen by the Dr. he adds moreover that Men must use Pious Means in Humility of Soul and so they shall have Further Assurance begotten in them Here the Dr. has found a Salvo for all the Errours that ever have been or shall be committed in Points of Faith For he that shall say he has us'd Pious Means in Humility of Soul and that he has an Interiour Assurance of the Truth as all Hereticks in the World have ever pretended ought never to be proceeded against And by the same Rule all Penal Laws Persecuting Christians for Conscience are evidently unjust Which notwithstanding have ever been the only Bulwark of the Church of England Now A. P. will demonstrate the above-mention'd Assertion of the Dr's to be Weak Erroneous and False Which he thus proves The Water is clearest at the Fountain-Head Hence if ever any us'd those Pious Means and had thereby Assurance begotten in them We must allow it to Luther Carolostadius Zuinglius Beza Castalio c. Who were the Principal Heads of the Reform'd Churches and consequently receiv'd more of the Divine Influence us'd more Industry in acquiring Authentick Copies comparing Texts imploring the Divine Assistance than any of their Followers To begin therefore with Luther Zuinglius says of him That He was a foul Corrupter and horrible Falsifier of GODS Word One who follow'd Lib. de Sacramentia fol. 472 the Marcionists and Arians that ras'd out such Places of Holy Writ as were against him Thou doest says he to Luther Corrupt the Word of God thou art seen to be a manifest and common Corrupter and Perverter of the Holy Scriptures How much are we asham'd of thee who have hitherto esteem'd thee With how great reason Zuinglius objected this to him those are Judges who have noted Vide Bell. Ser. de Pentec above a thousand places chang'd by him in the New Testament alone and that he set forth the Gospels seven times every Edition very much differing from the precedent Now A. P. desires to know whether and when Martin Luther had the Assurance he requires Luther on the other side affirms of the Zuinglian Vid. Pro. Ap. tract 10. S. 10. Subd 4. Translators that They were Fools Asses Antichrists Deceivers and of an Ass-like Vnderstanding Beza says of the Basilian Translation That It is in many places wicked and altogether differing from the Mind of the Holy Ghost Of Beza's Translation Castalio observes That to note all his Errours would require a great Volume Beza again pronounces of Castalio's Edition That It is False Foolish Vnskilful Bold Blasphemous Vitious Ridiculous Cursed Erroneous Wicked Perverse In the first English Bible set forth in the Reign of Henry the VIII by Tindal the chief Apostle of the pretended Reformation Bishop Tunstal has noted no less than two thousand Corruptions in the Translation of the New Testament alone A. P. therefore desires the Dr. to give a Rule to seekers of the Truth by which they may discover the True and Uncorrupted Word of GOD. Amidst so much Dis-union Clashing and manifest Contradictions all which naturally flow from that irregular Liberty of Expounding Scripture given to all men by the Reformers From what has been hitherto said A. P. draws this Argument That which leads to manifest Discord of Opinion cannot be the Rule of One Holy Catholick Church But the Rule assign'd by the Dr. as now prov'd has open'd the Door to manifest Discord in Opinion Therefore it is not the Rule of One True Catholick Church A. P. Humbly intreats the indifferent Reader to ponder this whole Discourse with that Attention and Judgement it deserves For if A. P. proves this point against the Dr. he is sure That the whole Basis of the Reformation will totter and that the Church of England has no more to say in her Defence than the most Erroneous Body of Christians which has ever been since CHRIST's Time. A Prosecution of the REMARKS WEre the Quaery concerning the Ordination of Confer p. 10. Linus any way material to A. P's Faith he would Answer it And what Copy St. Peter had of the Old Testament makes nothing to the proof of A. P's Canon for which he has the Testimony of an Infallible Church whereas the Church of England has none at all for hers The Dr. in the same Page says The Word Rock Note That Cephas the word our Saviour us'd is a Syriach word and signifies the same in either Gender As you are a Rock
so to do and extol all that joyn themselves to it though known to be Sacrilegious and little better than Atheists in their Lives The Dr. speaks of great Boasting on the Catholicks Conf. p. 3. side as though the Dr. durst not meet A. P. of which A. P. never heard but from him nor can the Dr. ever bring any Witness who will be able to make out that A. P. gave the Challenge So much he might have said to the Youth that if his Master were offended at his Change he would endeavour if his Master so desir'd to give him satisfaction But he never nam'd any Dr. or Minister in the Kingdom much less assign'd Place and Hour as the Dr. has been pleas'd to give out And for A. P's Party he knows none he had except the Youth who to his knowledge had nothing to do in the whole Affair What jugling Mr. V. or his Wife or both may have us'd to make the Parties meet A. P. knows not and as on the one side he will never decline any fair Conference though he has been twice disappointed waiting in vain a Minister of the Church of England So on the other he will not easily appoint any unless the Conditions hereafter set down be punctually observ'd 'T was agreed says the Dr. on all sides that Ibid. there should be little Company and no noise First There was no agreement made in order to any Particulars before the Parties met if made then why was it not kept Shall I tell you because the Dr. saw his own Party to be at least six to one and therefore Mr. V. would not harken to A. P. desiring the Chamber might be clear'd so that the whole matter of Fact contain'd in this Paragraph is very notoriously mis-represented by which the Dr. would cunningly insinuate that the Catholicks are forward in carrying on this Cause and willing to be bickering with the Church of England The Dr. affirms That A. P. came in with Nine Confer p. 4. or Ten after him Now a Gentleman zealous for the Truth will allow a Guiney an Head for every one that shall be prov'd to have been of A. P's Company Invitation or Appointment more than Mr. M. In order to which the Reader is desir'd to consider the Testimonies alledg'd at the end of these Remarks If a third Gentleman unknown to A. P. or some others of which A. P. knows nothing should casually come in he has nothing to answer for that and Mr. V. may thank himself who had buz'd the Conference abroad whilst A. P. knew not so much as at which end of Long-Acre Mr. V's House was The Dr. adds that presently after he came in 〈◊〉 He espied in the Room a Priest in a yellow Peruke one from my Lady St. John 's of Long-Acre whom he supposes to be a Priest and one in a plain Band who as was said came with him Were not this from a Grave Dr. I should not spare a severe Reflection upon it since every part of the Assertion is false And there are two Gaineys deposited in A. P's Hands for him who shall find out this yellow Peruke which was there presently after A. P's coming in this suppos'd Priest of my Lady St. John's or the Gentleman in the plain Band and prove them to be Jesuits or Priests or in the least to have medled with the dispute There was indeed one in a yellow Peruke but he came not till the Evening stay'd not above half an hour and spoke not one Syllable to the Dr. or relating to the Conference Now the Reason why the Dr. has so mis-represented this meeting is because he was asham'd that all the Kingdom being fill'd with the noise of Eight Ten and Fifteen Jesuits silenc'd by him and that his Friend Mr. V. and his Wife being known to be the prime Authors and spreaders of these stories the sham should in the end be discovered And therefore he would give some colour and ground for these false reports by setting forth Jesuits under distinctive signs viz. yellow Perukes plain Bands c. with these Salvo's It is said it is suppos'd whilst the Dr. is conscious he had to deal but with one Jesuit and another he esteems as good as one Where mark that even the Dr. himself never makes the yellow Peruke or plain-Band-Gentleman speak one word through his whole Narrative though trim'd up with all the advantageous though little sincere flourishes imaginable But let us grant these supposed so to have been truly Jesuits how will the Dr. make out the second part of the story viz. of so many being silenc'd by him Now A. P. being vers'd in the Doctrine of Equivocation as the Dr. is pleas'd Confer p. 4. to hint has an Evasion for him Eight Jesuits were silenc'd that is some not known of in the crowd besides a yellow Peruke and plain Band c. stood silent before the Dr. Nor do I see how it can any other way be made out For what relates to Scholars pressing at the p. 4. door A. P. assures the World he never spoke a tittle of this Affair to any Scholar as you shall see attested anon and that one having A. P. knows not by what means heard thereof and asking leave to go he absolutely refus'd it And that meeting two in Long-Acre he was offended at them and sent them presently home Nor was there any one who came near the Chamber only six or eight at most all living there abouts who flock'd to the Street door where a numerous Crowd was assembled As for what he says in his 5th Page I refer the Reader to what Mr. M. intends to publish in his own behalf The Dr. in Page 6th Begins his Artifice of inverting Confer p. 6. and confounding the whole Order of the Conference leaving out the Discourse concerning Luther's Contradictions which was a Preamble and not the main Subject as he would make the World believe so to cast a mist before their Eyes that they may not consider the stress of the prime Question in debate To A. P's urging What assurance the Church of Ibid. England could give that she had the true Word of God He answers that these Discourses tend to Atheism to which A. P. gives his assent and grants the whole to wit that those who will not believe Transubstantiation can never be oblig'd by the Dr's Rule of Faith to believe the Trinity neither word being there The Texts of Scripture relating to either being equally lyable to Cavilling And the one being as repugnant to the apparent Principles of Discourse as the other to the Arguments of Sense Now woe be to them who have open'd this door to Atheism by teaching the People they ought to believe no farther than they see whence they bid adien to all the hidden and secret Mysteries of Faith which are essentially obscure in their Object though clear in their Motive He brings next that which was truly premised Confer
where commanded in Scripture either as to the Obligation or Time of its Celebration as now practic'd by the Church Baptism is necessary to Children for Salvation We are bound to believe that the Son is Consubstantial to the Father that the second Person was Really Physically and Substantially united to our Humane Nature and not Morally only that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son. What plain Texts of Scripture prove these Tenets so as the Arian Eutychian Anabaptist c. shall be oblig'd to submit being convinc'd by the Evidence thereof A. P. therefore asserts that an Infallible Church is requisite to expound Holy Writ to us and by her Traditions which are the living Word of GOD instruct us in necessary Doctrines That which the Dr. appeals to for Judge to wit The written Word of GOD is no other than what has been the Appeal of all Hereticks from CHRIST's time Which consequently cannot be the Rule of one True Church that is Essentially different from an Heretical one And certainly no man of Sense and Judgment can say that a guilty Person will ever appeal to that Judge by whom he is evidently and sufficiently condemn'd but all Hereticks are guilty Persons and yet boldly appeal to Holy Scripture Therefore Holy Scripture is not the Judge by whom Hereticks are evidently and sufficiently condemn'd Whence is clearly made out that there must be some other living Judge by whose Authority Hereticks may be clearly convinc'd and all necessary Points of Doctrine taught and deliver'd to us Would not that be the worst constituted Government in the World in which there should be no living Judge or Explicator of the Law but every one should be permitted to Expound it so as his own Capricio or private Judgment suggests or as it may most make for his own Interest What Malefactor at this rate would not find a Plea for his own Defence and a Salvo for the most Enormous Crimes Now if this in Humane Laws would be esteem'd highly derogotary to the Prudence of the Law-giver shall those be deem'd to have the Spirit of GOD who presume to affirm the same of his Divine Majesty and so far to call in question his Infinite Wisdom and Goodness as to think that in the establishment of his Church he would omit That without which no State or Government could long subsist But here the Dr. may reply what he afterwards says that every one is not left to Expound this Rule at Discretion but must Vse the help of all Ministerial Guides possible that is he must Consult his Confer p. 18. Minister and if one satisfy him not advise with another and so to the end of the Chapter Now what shall we say if this Man prudently distrusts the Mission of his pretended Ministers as every one may that of the Church of England being grounded on meer Humane Authority What if he distrust his Ministers Sincerity Learning Vertue What if he question his having us'd Pious Means in humility of Soul Of which no Body can be assur'd What if Consulting many one tells him one thing another as it usually happens quite contrary What Means are there left to quiet this dubious mind You will say He is then left to his own Conscience Now being so left A. P. desires to know whether this Mans Conscience may be Erronous and actually err in things necessary to Salvation If so then his Religion may prove a meer Fancy if more an Opinion but at most a private Judgement and wholly void of Divine Faith. If he cannot err then each one must be allow'd to be Infallible in his own Perswasion and so the Dr. must grant that to each particular Member which he denies to the whole But that each one may err after all his Endeavours if we allow no living Judge to whom we are bound to submit is manifest from daily Experience by which we see that thousands having made use of all Ministerial Guides possible cease not to dissent amongst themselves and disagree even to Contradiction in things of the greatest moment And against the Dr. ad hominem Roman Catholicks use all the means Protestants can prescribe and many more in humility of Soul and have an undoubted assurance of being in the true way Which being so A. P. would be satisfy'd with what Conscience the Church of England can Prosecute men by Sanguinary Laws who follow her own Rule with the greatest Perfection One word to the Dr. and A. P. will go on to the other Parts of the Dr's Rule That can't be the only true Rule of Faith without which a true Church did subsist But without a compil'd Canon of Scripture assign'd by the Church of England as the only true Rule of Faith a true Church did subsist Therefore a compil'd Canon of Scripture can't be the only true Rule of Faith. The first Proposition is evident for a Church can t subsist without its Essentials one whereof questionless is a Rule of Faith. The second is prov'd thus The Primitive Christians made a true Church But this Church subsisted many years without a compil'd Canon of Scripture as is evident For several years after CARIST's Death pass'd without any written Gospels or Epistles more before they were divulg'd and some Ages before they were compil'd into a Canon Therefore a true Church subsisted without a compil'd Canon of Scripture Therefore that can't be the only true Rule of Faith. The Dr. goes on and asserts that they had the same Proofs for their Bible with the Roman Catholicks viz. The Testimony of the Vniversal Church Confâ—r p. 9. of all Ages Which is manifestly false For neither the Universal Church nor any part of it deliver'd them the Bible as the Protestants have it Whether you consider the Number of Books Conformity of Texts or what is most Material the Sense and Meaning thereof For although the * Note This was only a National Council and of no General Obligation Council of Laodicea approv'd of no more Books than those which the Church of England now allows to be Canonical nor indeed of all those the Apocalypse not being then receiv'd yet that Council rejected not the other Books as Apocryphal But the Church then beginning to examine Holy Scripture approv'd for the present only the above-mention'd Canon neither rejecting nor admitting the other pieces Now in the Council of Carthage held in the year 397. the other parts of Holy Writ being brought under Examination were found to be of equal Authority and consequently receiv'd into the Canon St. Augustin subscribing thereto And this was confirm'd by Pope Innocent the first in the year 402. who giving an Account what Books were receiv'd and directing himself by the Rule of Tradition viz. Quid custodita Series temporum demonstraret sets down these very Books the Epist 3 cap. 7. Roman Catholicks now still allow of And St. Augustine was of the same Judgment as also Pope Gelasius August de Doctr. Christ cap. 8.